


"I Think I'm Allergic to This Whole 'Adulting' Thing"

by LJF



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Coming of Age, F/M, Growing Up, Natsu acting like a middle schooler, asking for advice, because that's literally his state of emotional maturity, the gang being the gang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-20 19:49:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21287216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LJF/pseuds/LJF
Summary: In many ways, Natsu grew up way too fast. He's been working to support himself since he was a kid, and he's the kind of dependable guy his friends can count on.But in other ways, his emotional maturity has been frozen in time. He's also short-tempered, impatient, incredibly naive, and, as he is about to discover, completely clueless about girls. Well, mainly just one girl.....
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 1
Kudos: 63





	1. "What's Wrong With Me?"

**Author's Note:**

> This story, in its entirety, stemmed solely from my desire to see an in-character Natsu. I love the guy, but most romantic fanfics fail to depict his rather immature personality. In many ways, he never really grew past his kid self, which is part of the reason he's one of the only characters who doesn't seem to have any concept of romantic relationships.
> 
> I'm sorry, but the Natsu from the manga and anime is not going to wake up one morning, realize he loves Lucy, and then start fantasizing about confessing his love to her. No, Hiiro Mashima's Natsu has the emotional maturity of a grade schooler....which means, when he finally wakes up and realizes that girls could hypothetically be more than friends, he'd take it the same way a grade schooler would: vaguely curious, but also annoyed, confused, and frustrated-- and of course alternating between teasing and avoiding the object of his affections.
> 
> Of course, he'd grow up eventually, but I really wanted to see that side of his character, and couldn't really find a fanfic which depicted him like that.
> 
> The writing came out a lot clunkier than other things I've written, but I think that actually works well with Natsu's awkward awareness and growth.
> 
> Warning: Major spoilers ahead.

It all started when Natsu began to realize that girls...kind of smelled. Not in a bad way or anything-- the opposite, in fact.

He'd always been aware of Lucy's scent, of course. It had been the first thing that he'd noticed when he met her, and it had always felt...soothing. Eventually, of course, he'd discovered the truth about his past and realized that the reason Lucy's smell was so comforting was because she smelled like Anna, who'd been a sort of substitute mother figure when he was younger.

But this new realization was different. This wasn't "oh, Lucy's scent feels soft and maternal." This was more of a general, "girls just generally smell nicer than guys."

He couldn't really put his finger on it. He knew some girls wore perfume, but that was different-- that was an added, flowery scent on top of their regular scents. It was no different than the way Erza often smelled of the sugary sweets she was so fond of, or the way Cana reeked of alcohol after a long night of drinking and partying-- extra. What smelled so nice was their normal, natural scents-- and they were all different.

Yes, Lucy's scent was all soft and comforting, but recently, there'd been a more nuanced, sweet note mixed in. He liked it, but it also made him feel twitchy and uncomfortable whenever he noticed it.

Evergreen's smell felt dangerous. It was sharp and spicy and just a touch bittersweet. It reminded him of the way Erza's scent subtly changed whenever she heard the word "Jellal," or Cana's did when she'd had just a touch too much to drink.

Lisanna smelled like sunlight, if that was even possible-- bright and cheery and hopeful, yet just a touch remote.

Natsu's enhanced senses could tell apart different guys, too, but guys' scents weren't nearly as complex-- they all smelled at least a little sweaty and gross. Girls also sweat, he knew, but the scent wasn't overpowering the way it was with guys.

Of course, Natsu being Natsu, he hadn't really been consciously thinking about it-- occasionally he would be around the women of Fairy Tail and think "this smells so much nicer than being around guys," but that was basically it. Mostly. But sometimes, it became a bigger distraction before he'd even realized it. And sometimes-

"NATSU! Are you even listening to me?" Lucy scowled. "And why on Earthland are you _sniffing_ me?"

Natsu blinked, a little bit startled to have been pulled out of his reverie.....and then he realized his nose was practically touching the spot where her neck met her shoulderbone. He jumped about a foot in the air.

"I am so sorry, Lucy. I, uh......have to go!" He grabbed Happy and ran out of the house before she had a chance to say another word.

Now Lucy was really confused. Coming home to find Natsu in her apartment was completely expected at this point. Natsu touching her in weird and often inappropriate ways was also not too unusual. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd woken up to find him in her bed, clinging to her. She'd basically given up scolding him at this point-- Natsu was so completely innocent he just didn't get it.

But he had never, ever reacted like that before. He'd never become so distracted that he was totally surprised to realize what he was doing, he'd never apologized so frantically about it, and she didn't think she'd ever seen him run so fast out of her apartment for any reason other than excitement to start a new job or get into a rowdy fight.

_ Is he sick or something? _ She hoped not. Weird as he was, that goofball was her best friend and she didn't want to see anything happen to him.

Natsu was also worried, but his thoughts were veering on an entirely different route. _ What's wrong with me? Have I been cursed again? It's like I'm turning into Ichiya or something! _

For a second he toyed with the idea of checking in with Porlyusica to see if she could figure it out, but he quickly nixed that idea. She was more likely to be annoyed about him wasting her time with nonsense.

Besides, it was probably a Dragon Slayer thing. In which case…..

_ Wendy? _ Not-so-little-anymore-Wendy, whose scent felt like the softest cloud and stirred that protective big-brother instinct? No, she was a girl, she probably wouldn’t get it.

_ Erik? _ He wasn’t entirely sure where the mind-reader was these days, although Kinana would probably know. But no, he didn’t feel close enough to the former “Cobra” to spill such an intimate issue. (Since when had he started using words like “intimate”? He didn’t like it one bit.)

_ Rogue? _ Ditto. Rogue was a naturally private person-- Natsu couldn’t imagine the shadow slayer confessing such a personal problem to anyone, even…

_ Sting? _ Nah, the white slayer really looked up to him-- confiding in him would just feel awkward.

_ Gajeel? _ As if! They might be friends, but Gajeel was even better at pushing his buttons than Gray, and would more likely just tease him for eternity rather than actually come out and offer help. Besides, Gajeel’s understanding of girls didn’t seem to be that much better than his.

_ Laxus? _ Honestly, Laxus seemed like the best possibility. They respected each other, and while the lightning slayer might tease him a bit, Natsu couldn’t imagine that admitting weakness would cause the older slayer to look down on him.

_ Laxus it is. _ He didn’t like it one bit, of course, but he didn’t have much of a choice. But he wouldn’t do it right this second-- Laxus was off on a job, and besides, all this thinking was hurting his brain……

* * *

“Natsu?” Lucy said, a little confused. She hadn’t seen her pink-haired friend since their bizarre encounter in her apartment, and that had been three weeks ago. He’d disappeared on a job-- without her! And the first thing he did when he got back was-- “Did you seriously just _ pull my hair _?”

“Um…..yeah?” Natsu couldn’t even meet her eye. He didn’t even know why he’d done it. He’d just meant to come over and say hi, but he couldn’t find the words. Instead, he’d just stood there awkwardly for a minute or two (without her noticing) staring at her hair. It was so pretty and shiny and he felt like touching it and the next thing he knew--

“Why?” She didn’t seem angry, just confused. For some reason, that made him even more annoyed. Why was she asking him? This was _ her _ fault. Hers and that obnoxious scent that had followed him across Fiore, leaving him restless and distracted, unable to think straight. And now she had the nerve to turn those big brown eyes on him and ask _ him _ why?

“I DON’T KNOW WHY, LUCY! I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU AND YOUR STUPID HAIR AND YOUR STUPID FACE FEEL THE NEED TO KEEP BOTHERING ME! WHY CAN’T YOU EVER JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!”

Silence.

The entire guild hall, which just moments ago had been as lively and chaotic as ever, has dead silent. Every single face was staring at him. Cana’s beer mug was frozen halfway up to her lips. Levy’s reading glasses had tumbled right off her nose. Behind the bar counter, Mirajane’s mouth had formed a tiny “oh” of surprise. Gray and Gajeel, who’d been trading punches moments ago, had their unmoving fists planted in each other’s faces, but neither seemed to notice. Makarov and Erza, who’d been furiously whispering about something, were both glaring at him. Happy had stopped flapping his wings and had crashed to the ground. And Lucy....

Lucy, his best friend in the entire world (besides Happy, obviously), Lucy, who trusted him more than anyone else, Lucy, who made him want to beat anyone who'd dare to hurt her into a pulp, Lucy, who’d fought by his side more times than he could count….

Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

And suddenly, Natsu felt like the biggest jerk in the entire world. He opened his mouth to say something, anything-- to apologize, to crack a joke, to do _ something _, but before he could--

“Well, what’s got everyone so shell-shocked?” A booming but light-hearted voice broke the silence. As one, the entire guild turned their heads to see who could have possibly missed what just happened. Who could possibly have had the tactless luck to walk into the hall right after _ that _ scene?

Natsu’s eyes widened. “LAXUS?!” 

“Yo, Natsu,” the lightning-scarred slayer said, “Do you know--” But that was as far as he got before Natsu raced over to him and dragged him out of the hall.

He didn’t stop until he’d reached the old tree in the park at the edge of town.

“Natsu, slow down,” said his older guildmate. “Are you okay?” Natsu punched the tree, but it was so weak he barely cracked the bark.

“No, I’m not okay! I can’t sleep and I can’t eat and I can’t even think straight and--” Laxus put his hand on the younger boy’s shoulder. He recognized that look in Natsu’s eyes all too well. It was the look of a man who had cracked, a look of pure desperation. He’d seen that look peering at his from the mirror the morning before his own failed rebellion. 

“Natsu, I need you to take a deep breath. And then I need you to take another.” Natsu hesitantly complied. “Now, why don’t you tell me what could possibly be so bad that you decided to come to _ me _ for advice?”

Natsu paused, took another deep breath, and admitted his secret fear, “I think I’ve been possessed.”


	2. "Natsu, It Happens to Everybody"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laxus saves the day, Lucy worries, and Gajeel gets in trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of getting 100 views, here's part two!
> 
> Btw, if you're wondering when this is set, I'd guess probably some time after the end of "100 Years Quest"? Maybe?

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Cana asked, rubbing circles into her blond friend's back.

"I'll be fine," she replied, lifting her head from her folded arms.

The guild hall had returned to its usual disorder, and the women of Fairy Tail were clustered around the bar, trying to comfort Lucy.

"Has Natsu ever done anything like that before?" Levy asked, head tilted in confusion. Lucy shook her head. She and Natsu had been friends for years, but she couldn't remember the last time they'd had a real fight-- if ever.

"I must be sure to punish him most severely," said a still-scowling Erza. "How dare he speak to you that way!"

Mirajane, however, looked thoughtful. She leaned over to whisper something into her younger sister's ear. Lisanna gasped. "You really think so?"

"What is it?" Wendy asked.

"Don't worry about it," Mira said with a wink. She'd learned years ago that Lucy would not appreciate her meddling. Lisanna just blushed, but a tiny smile played on her lips.

The other women, still focused on Lucy, didn't pay much attention to the Strauss sisters' musings.

"Juvia thinks Natsu was acting very weird." Lucy nodded again, and wiped her face.

"Natsu's been kind of weird and distant for the last month or so," she explained, "I haven't seen him in three weeks, and the first thing he does is pull my hair and start yelling at me. You don't think there's anything seriously wrong with him, do you?"

* * *

"Bwahahahahaha!" Natsu glared at the blond lightning-wielder, who was bent over and laughing hysterically.

"I don't see what's so funny about this," he said, "I clearly have a serious problem, and you're treating it like some kind of joke!"

"Natsu-" Laxus couldn’t keep a straight face before bursting into laughter again, "I don't think I've ever heard you be so serious in your entire life." Then he collapsed into laughter again.

"Laxus, I came to you because I thought you might be able to actually _ help _ me," Natsu said, arms crossed, "But if you can't do that,you could at least not laugh about it to my face. And don't you _ dare _ tell anyone else." This had been a mistake. Why had he ever trusted anyone with his embarrassing secret?

Laxus held up a single finger-- the universal sign for _ give me a minute _\-- laughed for a few moments longer, and then turned his face into a mask of calm serenity.

"You're right," he said, "I didn't think it was very funny either when it first happened to me, and I definitely would not have appreciated any _ giggling._ The only reason I'm laughing is because I never thought I'd have someone coming to ask _ me _ about it."

"Wait," said Natsu, "It happened to you, too?"

"Natsu," Laxus said, rolling his eyes, "it happens to _ everybody _ ." Natsu looked at him blankly, wrinkling his nose. Regular people didn't have the same enhanced senses as the dragon slayers did, so how could this happen to _ them _?

"No, not the scenting," said Laxus, "You're right, only dragon slayers can smell those. But the scents are just a side effect of the real issue, which is universal. It happened to me when I was about twelve or thirteen years old, same as most guys, but I guess you're a bit of a late bloomer."

Natsu just stared at him, totally lost. "But what _ is _ it," he asked, "What's happening to me?"

Laxus rolled his eyes. "How did _ I _end up with this job?" He muttered under his breath. Then he sighed. "Natsu, there's a very simple explanation. There's nothing wrong with you. You're not sick, or cursed, or possessed or anything crazy like that. It's completely normal and healthy and you're going to be just fine."

Natsu breathed a sigh of relief. Well, that was one less thing to worry about. "But then what's going on with me?"

"Natsu," the golden-haired slayer said with an unusual softness, "It's called puberty."

"_ WHAT?! _"

"Natsu, you're growing up."

* * *

"What's up with Salamander?" A certain iron dragon slayer asked his wife, "I've never seen him go off at Bunny Girl like that. Those two are like _ this _." He held up his hand, fingers crossed.

"I don't know, exactly," Levy said, putting down her book. "Lucy says he's been acting odd for a while. Apparently a few weeks ago he was sniffing her neck, and then all of a sudden he started avoiding her like the plague."

Gajeel blinked. "I'm sorry, did you say he was sniffing her _ neck _?" Levy shrugged. Gajeel laughed. "I didn't think he had it in him!"

Levy gave him an odd look. "You're not serious," she said, "Come on, this is _ Natsu _we're talking about. The very picture of immaturity. You can't possibly think…."she trailed off, uncertain.

"He's a dragon slayer, ain't he," Gajeel said, "I guess it's about time."

"What does being a dragon slayer have to do with it?" Now Levy was even more confused. Gajeel shrugged.

"And he totally ran away right afterwards?" A smile broke across his tough-looking face, "Gihi, priceless! I may have been nervous and confused, but at least _ I _ never ran away after sniffing a girl." He missed the dangerous look the bluenette in his lap was giving him.

"Gajeel….." she said, using that sugary sweet voice that meant he was in _ deep _ trouble. He gulped. "Have you been going around sniffing other girls' necks?"

Before he could come up with a safe answer, she unceremoniously picked herself up, pulled on her shoes, and marched out the door. He stared after her in frozen shock for a moment. And the he panicked and ran out after her.

"Levy! It wasn't like that! It was before we even met!"

He sighed, knowing he had _ a lot _ of groveling to do before he would be back in her good graces. And then he smiled, knowing that, even now, there was no one in the world he'd rather have by his side.

* * *

Lucy sat on her bed, curled up with a good book. But she couldn't focus.

_ Natsu? Did I do something wrong? Do you really hate me? _

She felt like crying again. Why was her best friend pushing her away?

_ Best friend? _Something felt off about that.

_ Nuh-uh, Lucy. Do _ not _ go there again. You've been down that road one too many times before, and every time you get hurt. It's _ not _ happening. _

She groaned and shoved her face into her pillow. It was going to be another _ long _ night.

* * *

Natsu gaped at Laxus, his jaw hanging open.

"Natsu?" Laxys snapped his fingers. No reaction. "Guess I don't have a choice." He curled his fingers into a fist and punched, expecting to hit Natsu's face. Instead, he found his fist in the secure grip of a tanned hand.

"Wha-"

"Laxus?" The blond gulped he felt like he was back in school, being scolded by his teacher for getting in trouble.

"Yes, Gildarts?"

"Mind explaining why Natsu's just standing there waiting for you to punch him?" Gildarts's voice was deadly calm. _ That _ was dangerous.

"I think I broke him."

* * *

In the middle of the night, Lucy tumbled right out of bed.

"Hmm?" She shivered, but it wasn't the least bit cold. No, this was was a shiver of fear.

She could still remember the nightmare. _ "Just leave me alone!" _ Her best friend in the world, who she trusted with her life, hated her.

No wait, that had really happened, hadn't it? A tear trickled down her face. And then another. Before long, her entire body was wracked with silent sobs. _ Please don’t leave me. _

* * *

Gildarts got a good laugh out of that one

"You're telling me _ Natsu what?! _" Laxus sighed, then repeated himself. Gildarts smiled widely, then wrapped one of his arms around Natsu's shoulders.

"Congratulations, Natsu," he said, "You're becoming a real adult, aren't 'cha."

Natsu scratched at his neck-- the first sign of life he'd shown in hours.

"I think I'm allergic to this whole 'adulting' thing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you believe me if I told you that, in the original draft, Laxus wasn't even _in _ this story? I was just feeling a little blocked, and couldn't figure out what to do, and then I was like, "What would Natsu do? Who would he go to if he thought he had some rare dragon slayer curse and/or disease?" And the next thing I knew, there was Laxus.  
And then there was Gildarts. He _definitely_ was not supposed to be in this story. Natsu was supposed to be the one to catch Laxus's punch, thereby coming back to himself. And yet, there I was, typing away, when suddenly Gildarts stepped in the way and refused to budge.  
(Also, I know Natsu literally just told Laxus not to tell anybody, but I mean come on, Gildarts scares _everybody _.)
> 
> Also, also! GaLe! I just love Gajeel and Levy--they're basically my Fairy Tail OTP (Well, them and Zervis, but that's a whole 'nother story) and I really just wanted to write some domestic fluff. Their scene was somewhat inspired by the Camilla Cabello song "Easy". (Namely the line, "You tell me that you'd rather fight/Then spend a single peaceful night/With somebody else.")
> 
> And Lucy. Poor, poor Lucy. If I do continue this series, she's probably going to spend most of it very sad and/or confused and/or angry. Sorry, Lucy! I really do love ya.
> 
> And poor, befuddled Natsu.

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said, I wrote this solely for the purpose of showing a stage of Natsu's character development I hadn't found in other fics. There will be a part two, but after that I have zero clue about any more of the plot of this story, so I don't even know if I'll be able to continue this....although I do have some ideas for various particular scenes. Maybe I'll just make this a series of one- and two-shots?
> 
> Hit me up on [tumblr](https://ljf613.tumblr.com/)!


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